Leaf separator



Patented Dec. 5, 1944 LLEAFTSEPARA'EOR 612611 131 Wooten, ElNido,"Calif.

tApplicationlNove mb er 24, 1.941, seriamo. 420,173

This inventionlrelates. in: general rtoia-leaf1 separator and inparticular the invention is-dire-cted to, and it is my principal objectto provide a portable leaf :separator especially designed for use inorchards to effect separation of the leaves from fruit, such as prunes,as the latter are being harvested.

Another object of my invention is to provide a leaf separator for thepurpose described which is readily portable by hand but power driven bya light-weight gas engine or other power means mounted in unitaryrelationship with the device.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a leaf separatorwherein separation of the leaves from the fruit is accomplished by meansof a unique separating mechanism which employs an air blast to divertthe leaves from the fruit as the latter fiow gravitationally through thedevice.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the Figure 1is a side elevation of my improved and portable leaf separator.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the leaf separator.

Figure 3 is a cross section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawing, the leaf separator comprises an upstanding frame, indicatedgenerally at I, of rectangular elongated configuration in plan, andincluding legs 2 projecting downwardly from the corners. The legs arepreferably supported by ground engaging wheels 3, which may be removedor omitted if desired. Pairs of transversely spaced handles 4 projectlengthwise of the device and away from opposite ends thereof, suchhandles being employed to move the device from place to place in anorchard.

At the top the frame 1 supports an upwardly opening hopper 5 ofsubstantially the same plan as said frame, and including side members 6and end members 1 and 1a. The bottom of the hopper comprises arelatively long floor section 8 which extends at a downward slope fromone end member 1 and terminates at the lower end a substantial d stanceshort of the other endmembe'r la. .A relatively short floor section F9extends tfrom said other end member mat a downward slope toward floorsection 8 but terminating at its lower end short of and in :a plane some"dis-- tance above the corresponding end of said floor section 8. A flattransverse gate I0 is secured on top of floor section 9 adjacent itslower edge and projects downwardly beyond said edge sufficient tooverhang the corresponding edge of floor section 8 in spaced relationthereabove; the gate ll] being adjustable toward or away from the floorsection 8 whereby to regulate the gap ll therebetween.

Below the hopper 5 the device is formed with a substantially enclosedseparating chamber [2 included between sidewalls S and having a slopingrelatively steep bottom l3, the upper end of which projects in spacedrelation below end member la, whereby to provide a transverselyextending air outlet slot l4. At the end opposite slot l4 chamber I2 isrelatively deep and a fan I5 is mounted in the chamber at said end on ahorizontal, longitudinally. extending shaft I6 which is suitablyjournaled on'a cross member I! and projects outward to a terminationexteriorly of the chamber. The fan is adapted to create a blast of airin chamber H! in a direction against and upwardly along the bottom I 3whence such blast discharges through slot M. The fan may be encased in asuitable mesh cage I8, and the adjacent end of the frame is open asshown so that a stream of air may be drawn into the fan from ahead ofthe frame.

The outer end of the shaft [6 is fitted with a pulley l9 driven by anendless belt 20 from a light-weight gas engine 2! or the like mounted ona horizontal shelf or motor base 22 which projects outwardly from saidopen end of frame I; this motor base being suitably braced from theadjacent legs 2 as at 23.

The bottom 13 is separated centrally of its side edges by means of anupstanding longitudinal division board 24, and the chamber I2 onopposite sides and at its lower end is formed with outlet or dischargeopenings 25; there being chutes 26 leading laterally from said openingsand adapted to feed the fruit into boxes or sacks.

In use the leaf separator is taken directly into the orchard and isdisposed adjacent the trees from which the fruit is being harvested, and

preferably between rows of trees whereby the assist in delivery of theharvested fruit into this hopper laterally extending canvas wings 21 may-be employed, such wings being detachably connected as at 28 with theside members 6, and suitably supported at their outer end by means notshown.

-From the hopper 5 the fruit, together with leaves which may beintermingled therewith, feeds in regulated quantity through gap ll belowgate l0 and drops onto the upper end of bottom 13 of chamber 12. Thefruit then rolls downward along bottom l3, being continuously subjectedto the blast from fan l5. This blast effectively separates the leavesfrom the fruit and drives such leaves out of the device through slot [4;the clean fruit discharging through openings 25 and chutes 26.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A portable fruit and leaf separating device including an upstandingframe, transversely spaced ground engaging wheels adjacent the forwardend of the frame, handle means projecting longitudinally and outwardlyfrom the-rear end of the frame for lifting the frame from said end aboutthe wheels as an axis and for pushing and guiding the device, a fruitand leaf separating ,unit mounted in the frame and including a fan, asubstantially horizontal shelf formed with and projecting forwardly fromthe front end of the frame some distance above the ground, and a powerplant for driving the fan mounted on said shelf ahead of the verticalplane of the axis of said wheels, whereby when the rear end of the frameis lifted, the power plant acts as a counterbalance.

CECIL B. WOOTEN.

